Pallet container

Abstract

The invention relates to a pallet container with a thin-walled inner receptacle preferably made from thermoplastic material for the storage and transport of liquid or free-flowing goods, wherein the plastic container is closely surrounded by an outer cage jacket of crossed hollow bars which are configured with dimples by means of which bending points in the cage jacket are established so that when the pallet container is subjected to drops from certain heights, the cage jacket incurs a plastic deformation, thereby preventing fracturing or tearing of the hollow bars from the cage jacket.

1. A pallet container comprising:
 a bottom pallet;  
 a thin-walled inner receptacle for storage and transport of liquid or free-flowing contents; and  
 a cage jacket closely surrounding the receptacle and securely connected with the bottom pallet, wherein the cage jacket includes vertical and horizontal hollow bars,  
 wherein at least a number of the hollow bars have a protective means to effect a plastic deformation of the cage jacket at predetermined locations, when the cage jacket is subjected to impact stress from a drop, without encountering a fracture or tear to any of the hollow bars, wherein the protective means is provided only in vertical ones of said number of hollow bars.  
 
   
   
     2. The pallet container of  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is made of thermoplastic material. 
   
   
     3. The pallet container of  claim 1 , wherein the protective means is constituted by a reduction in cross section of each said vertical hollow bar to define a bending point. 
   
   
     4. The pallet container of  claim 3 , wherein the reduction in cross section of each said vertical hollow bar at the bending point is realized by providing a dimple in said hollow bar at least on one side thereof. 
   
   
     5. The pallet container of  claim 3 , wherein the reduction in cross section of each said hollow bar at the bending point is realized by providing a dimple in said hollow bar on one side thereof and a dimple in said hollow bar on an opposite side thereof. 
   
   
     6. The pallet container of  claim 1 , having a configuration with opposite long sides and opposite short sides, wherein each said vertical ones of the hollow bars in the long sides has the protective means. 
   
   
     7. The pallet container of  claim 1 , having a configuration with opposite long sides and opposite short sides, wherein each said vertical ones of the hollow bars in the short sides has the protective means. 
   
   
     8. The pallet container of  claim 4 , wherein the dimple for providing the bending point at said vertical hollow bars is disposed at a location between two points of intersection with the horizontal hollow bars. 
   
   
     9. The pallet container of  claim 4 , wherein the dimple for providing the bending point at said vertical hollow bars is disposed at a location directly above or below a point of intersection with a horizontal one of the hollow bars. 
   
   
     10. The pallet container of  claim 1 , wherein the protective means are dimples formed in the hollow bars, said dimples having varying depth. 
   
   
     11. The pallet container of  claim 10 , wherein the dimples have successively decreasing depth, with the depth of dimples disposed above a lowermost one of the horizontal hollow bars, which is secured to the bottom pallet, having a greatest depth and with the depth of dimples being positioned thereabove decreasing in the order of increasing distance from the lowermost one of the horizontal hollow bars. 
   
   
     12. The pallet container of  claim 1 , wherein the protective means is provided only in vertical ones of said number of hollow bars in proximity of three lowermost of the horizontal hollow bars. 
   
   
     13. The pallet container of  claim 4 , wherein the dimple has a length between 15 mm and 45 mm. 
   
   
     14. The pallet container of  claim 13 , wherein the dimple has a length of about 30 mm. 
   
   
     15. The pallet container of  claim 4 , wherein the dimple has a depth between 15% to 50% of a cross section of the hollow bars. 
   
   
     16. The pallet container of  claim 15 , wherein the depth of the dimple is 33% of the hollow bar cross section. 
   
   
     17. The pallet container of  claim 13 , wherein the dimple has a length of about 30 mm.